Leaf-turner.



D. J. LEVINSON.

LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.16. 1914.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- @MQVMZ.

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D. J. LEVINSON.

LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN, 16, 1914. 1,220,520. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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DAVID J. LEVINSON, 0F HINCKLEY, NEW YORK.

LEAF-TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Application filed January 16, 1914. Serial No, 812,556.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that 1, DAVID J. Lnvrnson, a citizen of the United States, residing at *linclzlcy, in the county of Herkimer and 1 State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leaf-Turners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a pneumatically acting music leaf turner which will operate to turn the leaves or pages of sheet or book leaves of music while the musician is playing or using the racks for reading purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatically acting leaf turner which will be exhausted to provide suction when engaged with a sheet to be turned, and which will be filled with air to neutralize suction action, when the sheet has been partially turned so that it will fall upon its reverse side, to thereby release the sheet in advance of its movement to a complete overturned position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swinging arm, with suction means for grasping a sheet, the arm being arranged to move into engagement with the sheet when swung into one position, and to be moved out of engagement to leave the sheet free to be read, when swung into anotherposition.

Other features and objects of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view of one form of the de vice of my invention applied to a music stand.

Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, assuming the view point to be in front of the music stand and below the level of the ledge on which the sheets of music are supported.

Fig. 3 is a view such as when the observer is in front of the music stand with his eyes above the level of the ledge or shelf which supports the sheets of music.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the bulbs detached from the rack.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in elevation, partly in section, showing the swinging arm structure embodied in the device of my invention.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of an improved spring attachment.

Fig. 9 is a bottom view thereof.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

The device of my invention is shown embodied in conventional form of music stand in which 1 designates the base, 2 the upright and 3 the rack. The rack 3 comprises an in elined plate and is provided with a ledge it against which the bottom edges of the books or sheets of music rest when in the position shown in Fig. 1.

A lever 5 is pivoted to swing upon a spindle 6 as a center, the spindle 6 being journaled in the ledge 4 at one of its ends, and in a removable base 7 through which it projects, as shown in Fig. 4:.

To the shorter end of the lever 5, I connect one end of a cable or cord 8 which is trained about a pulley 9, and which is r0- tatably mounted upon a spindle 10. The cord 8 extends downwardly over a pulley 11, mounted on the upright 2, and is trained about a pulley 12 from which the lower end of the cable 8 is connected with one arm 13 of a bell-crank lever which is pivoted at The other arm of said lever, as indicated at 15, is provided with a foot step 16 whereby the bell-crank lever may be rocked to throw the lever 5 into the position shown in Fig. 1.

It will now be seen that by forcing the step or treadle 16 downwardly, the arm 13 of the bell-crank will be moved outwardly from the upright 2, as shown, so as to pull the cord 8 taut and swing the arm 5 into the position shown in Fig. 1, which is a leafgrasping position.

I provide means for returning and maintaining the arm 5 in the leaf-releasing position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and as illustrated, such means may comprise a spiral spring 17 having one end fixed to the spindle 6, as indicated at 18, and the other end fixed to a casing 19 which surrounds the spring 17 and which may be secured to the rack ledge 4. The spring 17 is disposed in a manner to act in opposition to I110 salient of the treadle 16.

I will next describe the manner in which the leaf is shifted so as to turn the same and expose its reverse side to the reader.

The free end of the lever is bifurcated as indicated at 20, and the upper portion is cut away as indicated at 21, while the lower portion projects outwardly from the upper portion 21, as indicated at22, to form a stop. The lever 5 is tubular, as shown, and within the bifurcated ends 20 T mount upon a cotter pin or other suitable form of pivot 23 a cup carrying lever which comprises a tube extending on opposite sides of the pivot 23 and comprising an upper arm 2% and a lower arm 25. The cut away portion 21 will permit the upper arm 2-i of the tubular cup-carrying lever to swing to the left of the position shown in Fig. 6, but the stop portion 22 will limit its move ment to the right of said position. The arm 25, extends below the lever 5, and I provide a spring 26 which normally tends to rock the arms 2% and 25 so to m ve the same into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, into contact with the part of lever 5 at the end of the recess 21. Said spring is shown to be of the leaf form and its ends are disposed in socketed retainers 2'7 and 28, secured to arm 25 and lever 5, respectively. The retainer 27 is shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9 and may comprise a recessed portion 29 for receiving the spring 26, or an end thereof, and an apertured end 30 for anchorage of the retainer in place.

The part 24 forms one section of the arm, which is preferably extensible, a tubular section 31 telescoping the arm 2% and being held in extensible adjustments desired by a device which may consist of a threaded stud 32 provided with a nut 33. The arm section 24: is slotted, as indicated at 3 1 for adjustment of the threaded member 32 longitudinally of said arm section. The upper end of the tubular section 31 carries a suction cup 35, and the disposition of the upper portion of the section 31 shown, for clearness of illustration, disposed at ninety degrees from its normal position as shown in Fig. 1, to illustrate connections which will be presently described. The cup 35 is rovided with a ball carrying extension, the ball 36 of which is seated in a socket 37 provided with a stem 38. The stem 38 extends through thetubular section 31 and may be retained from movement beyond a predetermined limit in one direction by a nut 39. A spr ng 40, interposed between the socket 37 and the arm section 31 normally holds the cup in the position shown, but permits of retraction of the cup toward section 31, for a purpose which will presently be described.

A flexible length of tubing n extends upwardly through the cup-carrying arm 24: and outwardly therefrom, as sho vn in Fig. 6, and is connected at 42, with the cup 35.

The flexible tubing 4.1 extends downwardly through the cup-carrying arm and will have suflicient slack to permit of extensibility of said cup-carrying arm. The tubing ll extends through the cup-carrying arm and into tubular lever 5, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 6, and the lower end portion of the tubing 4-1 extends. through the lever 5, at 12 and is connected at as with a tubular fitting it secured to the ledge 4t by means of a base 45. The fitting 4% has oppositely disposed extensions 16 and 4.7, on which bulbs 48 and 49 are connected and disposed, the bulbs having tubular extensions 50 and 51 for the purpose of effecting these connections. On the inner end of lever 5 l mount a bulb compressor 52 which is secured to stem 53 which may be anchored in the lever 5 by a cotter pin or like fastening means 54. The bulb 48 is disposed in the path of the compressor 52 so that when the lever 5 is in the full-line position shown in Fig. 1, the compressor 52 will have engaged the bulb 1S and collapsed the same. The bulb 18 is provided with a non-return valve 55 which opens into the bulb +1.8 during expansion of the latter to draw in air through the tubing 11 to create sufiicient suction in the cup 35 so as to cause the leaf or sheet of music to adhere thereto. A valve 56 is provided for the bulb t which valve opens outwardly through an extension 57, to atmos. phere, during collapsing movement of the bulb 48.

It will thus be seen that before the cup reaches the leaf or sheet of music, the compressor will have engaged the bulb 4-8 and collapsed the same, expelling the air from the bulb 43 through valve 56 while the valve 55 permits the return of air into the tubes 50 and 4:6. iVhen the cup 35 has reached the sheet so as to be engaged therewith, the bulb i8 will be almost wholly collapsed against the bottom of the plate 3. The spring 10 permits of movement of'lever 5 to a full biillrcollapsing position irrespective of the thicknessof sheets of music on the rack and always insures a positive engagement of the cup with the uppermost sheet. Immediately upon release of the treadle 15,

the sprin 17 will act to return the lever 5 to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1, and upon movement of the compressor 52 away from bulb 18 the latter will expand, therebv closing valve 56 and opening valve 57 so as to draw the air into the bulb 1S and thereby withdraw air from cup 35 and cause the paper to adhere thereto by the consequent suction of the cup. It will be seen that when the cup 35 is in engagement with the paper,

the spring 40 will be compressed and therefore there will be some movement of the lever 5 serving to release the bulb 48 to permit the latter to begin to withdraw air from the cup 35 before the spring 40 has permitted disengagement of the cup 35 as a result of movement of the cup arm away from the music sheet. Thus I insure such initial suction, prior to disengagement of the cup with the music sheet, so as to positively initiate a suction action in the cup sufiicient to lift the sheet.

I will next describe the manner in which suction in the cup is neutralized so as to release pneumatic engagement between the cup and the sheet.

As the lever 5 reaches the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 2, the compressor 52 will engage the bulb 49, which is a closed bulb, and compression of bulb t9 will force air through the fitting 4:4 and into the tubing 41 so as to release suction engagement between the cup 35 and the music sheet after the latter has been turned over sufficiently so that it will fall by gravity into a reverse or overturned position.

.t is desirable to have the suction cup and its arm disposed at one side of the music sheets as in the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1, and I will next describe the means for effecting this adjustment during turning movement of the lever 5.

A cord 58 is secured to the lower end of the arm 25, at 59, and extends over a pulley 60, mounted on a pin 61 which is secured to lever 5. Said cord 58 extends through an eye 62 mounted on part 7 and is connected with spindle 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. There will be enough slack in the cord 58 so that when the lever 5 reaches a position about half way over toward the full-line position shown in Fig. 1, the spring 26 will be free to shift the cup-carrying arm on its pivot 23 from a position at right angles with respect to the lever 5, to a position as shown in Fig. 1, with the arm in en gagement with the recessed portion 21 of the lever 5. This will dispose the cup 35 abreast of the sheet of music inside of the marginal edge thereof. The length of the cord 58 is such that when the compressor 52 engages the bulb 49 so as to expel air from the cup 35, the cord will begin to pull on the arm 25 of the cup-carrying lever and gradually shift the same to a position at right angles with respect to the lever 5, as shown in Fig. 6 so thatthe cup-carrying arm and cup will be at one side of the marginal edge of the sheet of music as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the eye 62 is at one side of the spindle 6, about which the lever 5 rotates under action of spring 17, and I find it desirable to have the cord 58 of such length that it will begin to tighten when the lever 5 reaches the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which is just prior to collapsing of bulb 4:9. It will be understood that only a slight collapse of bulb 49 will be necessary in order to expel suflicient amount of air to-release suction in cup 35 and therefore it will be a mere matter of adjustment, in view of the foregoing disclosure, to cause the suction in cup 35 to be neutralized at the time that cord 58 begins to shift the cup arm. If the arm were shifted before suction was neutralized in cup 35, there would be a tendency to-shift the sheet of music or the book upon the rack, which would be objectionable and therefore the advantage of simultaneously neutralizing suction and shifting the cup arm will be a;

now apparent.

In some instances, it may be found necessary to fold down the uppermost sheet to be overturned so as to leave ample air space between the sheets thereby preventing the cup from lifting more than one sheet at a time, and in this connection, any well known expedient may be employed to obviate such defect if it occurred.

IVhile I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I elaim:.

1. In a leaf turner, a support, a lever movable about an axis fixed with relation to said support, a cup-carrying arm pivoted on said lever and provided with a suction cup for engagement with the sheet to be turned, means acting to shift said arm to dispose its cup abreast of said sheet to be turned for engagement therewith during movement of said lever, means for withdrawing air from said cup so as to engage by suction the sheet to be turned, and separate means for forcing air positively into said cup so as to neutralize said suction at a predetermined step in the operation of turning the sheet.

2'. In a leaf-turner, the combination of a support, a lever carried thereby and movable in opposite directions, a suction on carried by said lever, means to be operate during the movement of said lever in one direction to cause suction engagement of the leaf by said cup when the lever starts to move in the opposite direction, means to positively force air into said cup to release the suc tion engagement with the sheet when the sheet is brought approximately to the turned position, and means coiiperative with said lever to begin to shift said cup out of range of the sheet while the same is being turned.

3. In a leaf turner, a support, a lever movable about an axis fixed relative to said support, a pneumatic device pivoted on said lever in a position to become engaged with a sheet and turn the same, means for shifting said lever to bring said device into engaging range with the sheet to be turned while the lever is moving in one direction, means to be brought into operation during movement of the lever to create suction in the pneumatic device to engage the leaf therewith, means to carry the lever in the returnmovement to turn the leaf, positive means to force air into said pneumatic device at a predetermined stage so as to release the sheet, and. mechanism for shifting said device out of range of the sheet while the lever is being moved in the turning direction.

4. In a leaf or sheet turner, a support, a lever pivoted between its ends so as to swing about an axis fixed with relation to said support, a pneumatic device on one end of said lever and adapted for engagement with the sheets to be turned, means in the path of the other end of said lever for energizing said pneumatic device for causing it to pick up a sheet during movement of the lever in one direction, means in the path of said other end of said lever and operable by movement thereof to deenergize said device and thus release such sheet, shifting means by which said lever is brought to such position that said pneumatic device becomes operative to engage with a sheet, and means for automatically returning said lever to initial position, thereby turning the sheet and bringing the sheet-releasing means into operation before. the turning of said sheet has been completed.

5. In a leaf or sheet turner, a lever movable about a fixed axis, a pneumatic device pivoted on said lever for engaging a sheet to turn the same, manually operable means for shifting said lever to a position that said pneumatic device is engaged with a sheet, means to automatically return said lever and to carry the leaf therewith thus turning the same, and a cable attached to said pneumatic device and arranged to become operative during return movement to shift said pneumatic device out of range of the sheet.

6. In a leaf turner, a support, a lever pivotally mounted to have swinging movement about an axis fixed with relation to said sup port, a pneumatic leaf engaging device pivotally mounted on said lever, a power-introducing medium for initially swinging said lever in one direction, means for shifting said pneumatic device to a sheet engaging position during said swinging movement of said lever, means for automatically returning said lever along the path in which it has been initially swung, a flexible connection engaged with said pneumatic device and arranged to become operative during the return swinging movement of said lever so as to act in opposition to said pneumatic shifting device and thus return the latter to its inoperative position, suction producing means to be brought into operation in consequence of the movement of said lever by said power-introducing medium so as to cre ate a leaf-holding suction in said pneumatic device, and pneumatic means rendered effective by the return movement of said lever so as to neutralize said suction and release the leaf from its engagement with said leaf engaging device.

7. A leaf-supporting-and-turning device comprising a ledge for supporting the leaves to be turned, a. horizontally swinging lever pivotally mounted on said ledge and adapted to swing its free end from one end portion to the other of said ledge, an up-standing lever pivotally mounted on said horizontally swinging lever, a sheet-engaging-andreleasing element carried by said up-standing lever and initially out of range of the sheets, and means for simultaneously swing ing the said levers on their respective pivots so to bring said sheet-engaging-and-releasing element into range of the sheets and swing said sheet-engaging-and-releasing element across from the sheet-releasing side to the sheet-engaging side of the leaf-supporting-and-turning device.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAV ID J. LEVINSON.

Witnesses C. DrnFENnonF, Gno. H. Bmoes.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent: Washington, 1). 0. 

